Dental burr

ABSTRACT

This application describes a dental burr including a cutting surface having one or more grooves therein, each of the grooves being defined by a plane which encircles the cutting surface at a skewed angle with respect to the axis of rotation of the burr. Such groove(s) provide an oscillatory chip clearing action as the burr rotates to give edge cutting and fast chip clearance. The cutting surface has abrasive particles coated thereon.

This is a continuation of application Ser. No. 668,334, filed Mar. 19,1976, now U.S. Pat. No. 4,058,898.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This application relates to dental burrs. More specifically, it relatesto dental burrs having at least one groove in the cutting surfacethereof for providing an oscillatory chip clearing action as the burrrotates.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Known, prior art dental burrs include, for example, those shown in U.S.Pat. Nos. 482,558; 1,358,432; 1,813,741; 2,338,437; 2,606,366;2,901,826; 3,624,095; and 3,894,339; and French Pat. No. 931,489. Afurther cutting instrument is shown by U.S. Pat. No. 3,510,990.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The dental burrs of the present invention include a cutting surfacehaving at least one groove therein, each of the grooves in the cuttingsurface being defined by a plane which encircles the cutting surface atthe skewed angle with respect to the axis of rotation of the burr. Eachof the grooves can partially or completely encircle the cutting surface,and can be flat, curved or wavey. As shown in the drawings forming apart hereof, one or two (or more) grooves can encircle the cuttingsurface of the burr. In one embodiment, the angle of the plane of atleast one groove in the cutting surface is at an angle with respect tothe plane of another groove in the cutting surface (see FIGS. 3 and 4hereof). In a further embodiment, where there are a plurality, such astwo, grooves, the plane of each groove is parallel to the plane(s) ofthe other groove(s) (see FIG. 5 hereof).

The cutting surface is of conventional configuration, for example,spherical, cylindrical, conical, inverted conical, round, tapered, flamecontoured, etc. Uniform configurations, such as spherical orcylindrical, are generally preferred, although other configurations canbe utilized if desired. Each planar groove has a pair of side wallswhich are also skewed with respect to the axis of rotation of the burr.Such side walls, for each groove, can be of any desired configuration,for example, they can be flat and parallel to one another, or they canbe beveled and non-parallel, etc.

The grooves function to provide an oscillatory cutting and chip clearingaction as the burr rotates, thereby providing fast chip clearance.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The features and advantages of the present invention will become moreapparent from the following detailed description taken together with theaccompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of one embodiment of a dental burr of thepresent invention;

FIG. 2 is a longitudinal elevational view of the burr of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a further embodiment of the dental burrof the present invention;

FIG. 4 is a longitudinal elevational view of the dental burr of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a longitudinal elevational view of an alternate dental burr ofthe present invention;

FIG. 6 is a side elevational view of an alternate dental burr of thepresent invention where the single groove only partially encircles thecutting surface;

FIG. 7 is a side elevational view of a further alternate dental burr ofthe present invention where the side walls defining the groove arebeveled and, therefore, not parallel to each other; and

FIG. 8 is a side elevational view of a further alternate dental burr ofthe present invention where the groove is defined by curved side walls.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, there is shown a dental burr 10 having ashank 12, a neck 14 and a spherical cutting surface 16. A planar groove18 completely encircles cutting surface 16 at an angle which is skewedto the axis of rotation 20 of burr 10. Groove 18 has flat side walls 22and 24 which are parallel to one another.

Referring to FIGS. 3 and 4, there is shown a different dental burr 30having a shank 32, a neck 34 and a cylindrical cutting surface 36. Apair of flat, planar grooves 38 and 40 completely encircle cuttingsurface 36 at an skewed angle with respect to the axis of rotation 42 ofthe burr. As shown, the plane of groove 38 is also at an angle withrespect to the plane of groove 40. Groove 38 has flat side walls 44 and46 which are disposed parallel to one another. In a similar manner,groove 40 has flat side walls 48 and 50 which are also disposed parallelto one another.

Referring to FIG. 5, where like numerals have been utilized to indentifylike elements of the burr of FIGS. 3 and 4, it is shown that groove 40',instead of being at an angle with respect to the plane of groove 38, isparallel thereto, thus, flat surfaces 44 and 46 partially defininggroove 38 and surfaces 48' and 50' defining groove 40' are all parallelto one another.

In the above embodiments, each of the grooves completely encircles thecutting surface, and the pair of side walls defining each particulargrooves are flat and parallel to each other. In the followingembodiments, the grooves only partially encircle the cutting surface orthe side walls are not flat or parallel to each other.

Referring to FIG. 6, burr 60 has a shank 62, neck 64, and a cuttingsurface 66. Groove 68 defined, in part, by side walls 70 and 72 onlypartially encircles the cutting surface, there being a portion 76 ofcutting surface 66 at that area where the groove is discontinuous.

Referring to FIG. 7, burr 80 has a cutting surface 82 where the sidewalls 84 of groove 86 are beveled and therefore not parallel to oneanother.

Referring to FIG. 8, burr 90 has a cutting surface 92 where the plane ofgroove 94 is curved.

Although each of the grooves can, in general, be at any angle withrespect to the longitudinal axis of the burr, it is desirable that atleast one or all of the grooves be at an angle of about 30°-60°, forexample 45°, to the longitudinal axis. In this manner, good cuttingaction and rapid chip clearance is obtained.

The cutting surface of the burrs described herein has abrasive particles(such as diamond, silicon carbide, boron nitride or other particles asknown in this art) coated thereon. The abrasive particulate coating ison all or a portion of the cutting surface per se, the side walls of thegroove(s) and may or may not be on the bottom wall of the groove(s)since that portion of the burr does not come into contact with the toothduring the grinding or cutting thereof. This coating is shown in thedrawings by the textured or speckled appearance of the applicablesurfaces.

While this invention has been described with reference to specificembodiments thereof, it should be understood by those skilled in thisart that various changes may be made and equivalents may be substitutedwithout departing from the true spirit and scope of the invention. Allsuch modifications are intended to be within the scope of the claimsappended hereto.

What is claimed is:
 1. A one-piece dental burr comprising a shankterminating, at the operative end thereof, in a cutting surface devoidof teeth-like projections, said cutting surface having only one groovetherein, said groove being the only groove in said cutting surface, saidgroove being defined by a plane which encircles said cutting surface ata skewed angle with respect to the axis of rotation of said burr, saidgroove only partially encircling said cutting surface and having curvedside walls, said groove providing an oscillatory chip clearing action asthe burr is rotated to thereby afford fast chip clearance.
 2. The burrof claim 1 wherein said cutting surface has abrasive particles coatedthereon.
 3. A one-piece dental burr comprising a shank terminating, atthe operative end thereof, in a cutting surface devoid of teeth-likeprojections, said cutting surface having a plurality of non-intersectinggrooves therein, said non-intersecting grooves being the only grooves insaid cutting surface, each of said non-intersecting grooves beingdefined by a plane which encircles said cutting surface at a skewedangle with respect to the axis of rotation of said burr, each of saidplanes being parallel to each of the other said planes, at least one ofsaid non-intersecting grooves only partially encircling said cuttingsurface, at least one of said non-intersecting grooves having curvedside walls, said grooves providing an oscillatory chip clearing actionas the burr is rotated to thereby afford fast chip clearance.
 4. Thedental burr of claim 3 wherein there are two non-intersecting grooves.5. The burr of claim 3 wherein said cutting surface has abrasiveparticles coated thereon.